"It didn't work," Chloe whispered. Her jaw locked tight. The trio's hearts sinking—Sebastian's, dropping the deepest when hit with the bitter truth.
"We're still trapped in here… with the dead," she breathed, the words settling into the silence like ash.
"You're joking… I assume," Andrew muttered, voice breaking, despair tightening around his throat like invisible chains.
"Perhaps you're trying to build up the moment," Mike followed up, eyes fixed on Chloe. His gaze was dim—supressed by the weight of crushed hope.
Chloe sighed and sat down. Her silence speaking louder than words. The three sighed in unison, defeat evident in their eyes.
Sebastian gaze drifted past them; his posture though suggesting defeat, eyes in an unfocused state still picked up the unholy detail around him...It then stopped.
The tree.
His gaze sharpened, cold calculation flickering through him.
The tree. Could it be? Of course it could. What kind of tree grows like that? And in a place this barren? Not a single blade of grass… just that twisted thing and that cursed flower.
It made sense. Or maybe hunger was making everything make sense. Either way, his instincts clawed at him. His eyes moved from mike's torch then back to the tree.
Should I do it?, He thought. No. Suggesting it would be better. Let the adults and the thrill-seeker handle it. Better safe than sorry.
After all, things like this didn't just sit quietly and get harmed, nothing did. Burn the tree, probably would lash out. Maybe it would proceed to whip your behind raw with its branches. Worst case, a spirit crawls out and smacks your soul loose.
Best case? It screams, burns to the ground, and let them free.
"IT—can't—be… it's not… poss…sible…" Andrew's trembling voice shattered Sebastian's thoughts.
Sebastian glanced at him, then dismissed him with an inward scoff.
Falling into despair this late? Should've done that earlier.
He stood, coughing to get everyone's attention, his eyes focusing on their faces which where drained of hope.
He snorted. "Seriously? Why come into a place like this if you're just going to give up the second things don't work out?" His gaze swept across them.
He pointed at the tree. "I think this might work." he then proceeded to explain his idea pausing on completion to watch their reactions.
"I don't think that's wise," Isabella added softly. Her head was tucked between her knees, hair once dazzling now reduced to a frayed, tangled mess. "If the plant caused that scream" she continued, "… the tree might be worse. Something could come out."
Sebastian turned to her, face twisting for a split second before smoothing over. Why leap into the lion's den if you're afraid of cats… he thought
He sighed before continuing. "Either that." he turned to her "or we sit here and starve. And I promise you—that's not a peaceful way to go. If you don't like pain…"His fingers interlocking. "Then we need to act soon."
He walked toward the plant's remains, pinching his nose shut as he peered inside.
No body.
Interesting. he thought Either the fire burned it to dust… or that was some kind of illusion.
He turned and pointed toward the hollowed out ground. "Look—no body. The fire clearly did something. Whatever it was, probable died to the flame."
Andrew, Chloe, and Mike approached, all pinching their noses out of reflex. They leaned in, nodding in agreement on seeing the hole, then Mike spoke:
"I agree with the kid. His idea makes sense. Sure, something could happen… but it's still a chance to leave this place."
"And it is also a chance," Isabella cut in, "that the fire might bring the tree's wrath instead. It may not even know we are here. Burning it will surely draw notice."
"We leave it to the majority," Seb announced giving her a look only retards deserved. like we fucking burnt the flower if the thing did not notice that its probably both blind and deaf he thought while continuing to speak "All who agree—hands up. His own hand shot up immediately. The others—except Isabella—followed to.
"Majority on burning it. So… we burn the damn tree."
Mike looked at Andrew, then at Sebastian, then back at Andrew.
"You take the torch. Light it up."
"But boss—" Andrew tried to protest.
"Just do it already, it's not that hard—just focus on the dark jewel at the top of the torch."
Andrew's face twisted like he'd been betrayed, like I don't know how to switch on the fucking torch he thought. He still obeyed, though with heavy reluctance. He lifted the torch, focus aimed at the embedded crystal; it re-ignited immediately, almost eagerly.
He ran the flame across a branch which immediately. caught fire—burning green-blue, tinged with reddish pink. The flames danced for a moment, then died.
Sebastian's brow creased. "Try again focus on the leaves."
Andrew sneered at him before repeating the process.
Eight times.
Eight short-lived burns. No screams. No violent reaction. Just blackened bark and an unnerving silence.
Eventually Andrew collapsed back to the ground, mentally and physically spent from the constant alert he remained in while trying to burn the tree. Emotional turmoil could be seen carved plain to see across his face he didn't no whether he wanted the tree or something to at least show or not.
They all sat and stared at the unburnt tree—frustration, anger, and despair settling over them like dust.
Hours passed. Hunger gnawing at them relentlessly, stomachs growling in irregular, hollow bursts.
Sebastian's POV
We'd been sitting for hours. Hunger pangs a constant reminder of our hopeless situation. My stomach felt like it had switched to cannibalism and it fucking hurt.
I glanced at the others their situation—with the exception of Chloe who looked less like someone trapped in a forest and more like someone out to enjoy nature. we're just as hopeless. Even a puppet with its strings cut would've had more spark.
My head was fuzzy—maybe from the hunger. I shook it hard forcing myself to focus. I turned to Andrew, not sure why I'd looked his way in the first place.
I then walked over and squatted in front of him proceeding to slap him Hard. I needed to keep awake.
He jolted awake with a startled scream, dragging the others out of their daze.
"Stop sleeping," I muttered before turning to the rest. "That goes for all of you"
"we shouldn't be sleeping right now especially when we're stuck in a clearing this fucked up, it's night, and weird shit loves the night. So stay awake."
Pausing to look at the tree I continued . "since burning the tree didn't work lets put our heads together and think up new shit that might work"
"What tree?" Mike asked looking confused,
I stared at him shaking my head with a sigh. "Bro, is not the time to joke. I don't even have five percent of the energy needed to laugh at a good joke—let alone a dry one."
A coughing fit ripped through me—violent enough that I wondered if blood would come next. After a moment, it passed.
"See? Barely got the energy to talk," I rasped. "The tree Andrew burned—" I continued but was cut of by Andrew again
"Bro, what tree? you mean The plant that Mike burnt" he finished looking at the others who all nodded in agreement
I stared at them. All of them.
Every single face looked confused. Not mocking. where they pretending.
No they looked confused
They thought I was losing it.
I turned slowly to Chloe
"Chloe…" I whispered. "You remember the tree… right?"
She shook her head. Giving me a soft, mournful look.
The kind you give someone who's already halfway to the asylum.